With a six-day trip to Arizona for Spring Break, the Cardinalswere expecting warm weather and a hard fought match from the No. 25Arizona Wildcats.
They got both, as Arizona had temperatures in the 80s all weekand the Wildcats played some of their best tennis of the year.
"We had a great week in terms of practice, a great week inweather. I would say we had a very productive week ," coach BillRichards said. "The match didn't go as well as I had hoped. Ithought we competed well. I would have liked to have come a littlecloser, but I think we were just a little out-manned."
Arizona swept the No. 74 Cardinals (5-10), winning all ninematches. In fact, only Matt Laramore at No. 3 singles was able towin a set over the Wildcats Tom Lloyd.
"I went there, I felt pretty good in singles, I got off to agood start and just kept rolling. In the second set, the heat gotto me, and the dry air got to me." Laramore said. "But, I playedwell, if it weren't for the heat, and not being used to playing inArizona, I think I would have been able to pull out the match,because things were going my way"
The Cardinals double team of Matt Baccarani and Patrick Thompsoncame closest to beating the Wildcats, falling 9-8.
Klint Knable also came close to winning a set in singles playbut fell to the Wildcats' Paul Warkentin.
It was the second loss in as many weeks for the Cardinals, asthey fell to then No. 48 Michigan 6-1 on March 13. The Cardinals'played with Michigan in singles, showing some excellent stretchperformances.
"Michigan was a frustrating match," Richards said. "We hadchances (to win.)"
Patrick Thompson, Mike Heule and Paul Newman all took theiropponents to three sets, while Brad Rhodes and Matt Laramore lostin two sets, with both taking the second set to extra points.
"There was not one singles matches where we didn't have a chanceto win," Richards said. "We get right to certain points in thesematches, individual matches, we get to these points where we have achance to take charge of the match, and we just - we can't get overthis hump. It was similar to the Northwestern match, similar to thePurdue match, similar to the Michigan State match; we haven't beenable to get over the hump."
Matt Baccarani was the only victor for the Cardinals, easilyhandling Michigan's Anthony Jackson 6-2, 6-3.
The Cardinals are back in action this weekend, hosting Toledo intheir first conference match on Saturday and No. 35 Notre Dame onSunday.������������������������������������������������������������*���*���2���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������&����...����*�mtennis3.22 DNEditorial�����*���*���2SORT ��� �2��AUDT���
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